Device and process for data throttling for wireless device

ABSTRACT

The disclosure provides a system and method for controlling on a wireless device the amount and speed of data transferred between a wireless device and the Internet, and a wireless device with a metering client that can throttle data speeds and types based on how much data a user has used. Specifically, the wireless device includes a metering client to track one of data usage or an amount of prepaid data available. When the metering client determines that the amount of data available has exceeded a pre-determined threshold, the wireless device inhibits further data transmission amounts and speeds.

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit from U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 62/184,478 filed on Jun. 25, 2015, which is hereby incorporated byreference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure generally relates to a device, system, and process forcontrolling the amount and speed of wireless data that is exchangedbetween a wireless network and a wireless device via the system.Specifically, the disclosure relates to throttling data speed for awireless device by the wireless device based on the amount of wirelessdata used during a predetermined time.

2. Related Art

Mobile phones and other wireless devices are a popular means for peopleto connect to the Internet and to transmit data. Many wireless plansallow customers a limited data plan, but even “unlimited” data plansonly offer a limited amount of data usage at a certain data speed. Afterreaching the data limit, such wireless plans reduce speed. This speedreduction currently occurs at the switch level of the network carriers,meaning that network carriers will control the speed reduction processthrough their infrastructure.

Currently, some wireless device users access the Internet and transmitdata through ongoing contracts with a Mobile Network Operator (MNO). Inthese postpaid plans, wireless device users can purchase a wirelessdevice or wireless access point and pay a substantial rate per month fordata usage in order to have general Internet access via the wirelessaccess point. However, extensive Internet access can result in extremelyhigh costs for users. Moreover, these users are tied to long-termongoing contracts with the MNO. Either one of these aspects can resultin the user being subject to unforeseen expenses.

Alternatively, other users access wireless services through a “prepaidplan.” Prepaid plans can be provided to users through a Mobile VirtualNetwork Operator (MVNO). An MVNO is a mobile operator that typicallydoes not own its own frequency spectrum or have its own networkinfrastructure. Instead, the MVNOs have business arrangements andcontracts with MNOs to purchase data usage of their networks.

In either case, prior network oversight of such wireless devices orwireless access points required extensive and complex tracking andcontrol utilizing back end systems for example. In addition, in order toreduce data speed for users who have crossed a data usage threshold, theMVNO typically requests that the carriers control data speed availableto users with the infrastructure of the carriers. The result of thisprocess is a significant number of MVNO requests to carriers to controlavailable user data speeds and a limited amount of control by MVNOs overavailable user data speeds.

Accordingly, there is a need for a system and a process for controllingdata speeds at the wireless device handset in real-time in order to givethe MVNOs and MNO more control over available user data speeds and toreduce the need for wireless carriers to control data speeds forwireless devices on their networks.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by this disclosure, witha system and process for throttling data speeds of a wireless device bythe wireless device. Some wireless providers may benefit from such asystem and method because the disclosure allows real-time changes indata speed available to the wireless device based on data usage.Additionally, other wireless providers may find it beneficial to useless infrastructure resources and fewer commands for a wireless carrierto throttle or un-throttle data speeds based on data usage. Still otherwireless providers may benefit from allowing MVNOs to control the typeand amount of data being used by a wireless device connected to thenetwork.

In one or more aspects, a system for controlling data usage on awireless device is provided and includes a first transceiver on thewireless device configured to transfer data between the wireless deviceand a network operator cloud, a metering client on the wireless deviceconfigured to determine if data usage has exceeded a pre-determinedthreshold, a computer readable medium on the wireless device configuredto store the metering client, a processor on the wireless deviceconfigured to execute the metering client, where the metering client isconfigured to throttle at the device, upon the metering clientdetermining that the amount of data usage has exceeded a pre-determinedthreshold, the data transfer of the first transceiver.

In another aspect, a method of controlling data usage on a wirelessdevice is provided and includes transferring data between the wirelessdevice and a network operator cloud, modulating signals at the wirelessdevice for the transfer of data between the wireless device and anetwork operator cloud, determining at the wireless device if data usagehas exceeded a pre-determined threshold, and throttling at the wirelessdevice the data transfer of the first transceiver.

In another aspect, a device is provided that includes a firsttransceiver configured to transfer data between the wireless device anda network operator cloud, a metering client configured to determine ifdata usage has exceeded a pre-determined threshold, and a computerreadable medium configured to store the metering client, a processorconfigured to execute the metering client, where the metering client isconfigured to throttle, upon the metering client determining that theamount of data available has exceeded a pre-determined threshold, thedata transfer of the first transceiver in real time.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain aspects of thedisclosure in order that the detailed description thereof herein may bebetter understood and in order that the present contribution to the artmay be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects ofthe disclosure that will be described below and which will form thesubject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one aspect of the disclosurein detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited inits application to the details of construction and to the arrangementsof the components set forth in the following description or illustratedin the drawings. The disclosure is capable of aspects in addition tothose described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the disclosure. It is important, therefore,that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructionsinsofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of thedisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the details of a network operator cloud and a wirelessdevice with a metering client configured to throttle data availabilityon the wireless device according to an aspect of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart detailing the method of how a wireless devicemay throttle the amount and speed of data transferred between a wirelessdevice and a network operator cloud according to yet another aspect ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows the details of a network operator cloud and a wirelessdevice with a metering client configured to throttle data availabilityon the wireless device according to another aspect of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference in this specification to a “wireless device” is intended toencompass any compatible computing device that can connect to a wirelessnetwork, such as mobile phones, mobile equipment, mobile stations, userequipment, cellular phones, smartphones, handsets or the like (e.g.,Apple iPhone, iPad, Google Android-based devices, BlackBerry-baseddevices, and other types of personal digital assistants or smartphones),wireless dongles, Wireless Fidelity hotspot, laptops, desktops, or othercomputing devices. The term “wireless device” may be interchangeablyused and referred to herein as “wireless handset,” “handset,” “mobiledevice,” “device,” “mobile phones,” “mobile equipment,” “mobilestation,” “user equipment,” “cellular phone,” “smartphones,” or “phone.”

Further, reference in this specification to a “wireless network” or“network” is intended to encompass any type of wireless network fromwhich an MVNO or an MNO uses to provide wireless data services to awireless device utilizing a communication channel. The communicationchannels may be any type of wired or wireless electronic communicationsnetwork, such as, e.g., a wired/wireless local area network (LAN), awired/wireless personal area network (PAN), a wired/wireless home areanetwork (HAN), a wired/wireless wide area network (WAN), a campusnetwork, a metropolitan network, an enterprise private network, avirtual private network (VPN), an internetwork, a backbone network(BBN), a global area network (GAN), the Internet, an intranet, anextranet, an overlay network, a cellular telephone network, a PersonalCommunications Service (PCS), using known protocols such as the GlobalSystem for Mobile Communications (GSM), CDMA (Code-Division MultipleAccess), GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, Long TermEvolution (LTE), 5G (5th generation mobile networks or 5th generationwireless systems), WiMAX, HSPA+, W-CDMA (Wideband Code-Division MultipleAccess), CDMA2000 (also known as C2K or IMT Multi-Carrier (IMT-MC)),Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, and/or the like, and/or acombination of two or more thereof.

Reference in this specification to “one aspect,” “an aspect,” “otheraspects,” “one or more aspects,” or the like means that a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with theaspect is included in at least one aspect of the disclosure. Theappearance of, for example, “in one aspect” in various places in thespecification are not necessarily all referring to the same aspect, norare separate or alternative aspects mutually exclusive of other aspects.Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by someaspects and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are describedwhich may be requirements for some aspects but not other aspects.

FIG. 1 shows the details of a network operator cloud and a wirelessdevice with a metering client configured to control data availability onthe wireless device according to an aspect of the disclosure. Inparticular, FIG. 1 shows a wireless device 10 and a network operatorcloud 34. The network operator cloud 34 may include any type of wirelesssystem operating on a communication channel as defined herein. Forexample, the network operator cloud 34 may include a base transceiverstation 26 (BTS), a base station controller 28 (BSC), and a mobileswitching center 30 (MSC) overseen by a network operator 32.

The wireless device 10 includes a first transceiver 12, a computerreadable medium 16, and a processor 18. The wireless device may includea display 14, a second transceiver 22 and a metering client 20. In oneaspect, the FIG. 1 implementation of the wireless device 10 may be aWireless Fidelity hotspot. In another aspect, the FIG. 1 implementationof the wireless device 10 may be a smartphone that may be configured asa Wireless Fidelity hotspot. The first transceiver 12 can include, forexample, a wireless antenna and associated circuitry capable of datatransmission with the mobile data network utilizing at least one datatransmission protocol, such as, for example, 3G, 4G Long Term Evolution(LTE), 5G, Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO), Code Division MultipleAccess (CDMA), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Global System for MobileCommunications (GSM), W-CDMA (Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access),Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a communication channel as defined herein, and/or thelike, and/or combinations thereof. The first transceiver 12 transmitsand receives data over the data transmission protocol with the networkoperator cloud 34.

The first transceiver 12 is further configured to be controlled. In oneaspect the first transceiver 12 is controlled by the processor 18 and/orthe metering client 20. In this regard, the first transceiver 12 may becontrolled with respect to at least one of the following: the radiofrequency utilized by the first transceiver 12 on the wireless device10, control modulation on the wireless device 10, control a combinationof frequency and modulation (e.g., quadrature amplitude modulation(QAM)) on the wireless device 10, to control operation of one of thedigital bit streams generated by the QAM, and/or to control the dataprotocol transmission types and speeds. QAM is both an analog and adigital modulation scheme. It conveys two analog message signals, or twodigital bit streams, by changing (modulating) the amplitudes of twocarrier waves, using the amplitude-shift keying (ASK) digital modulationscheme or amplitude modulation (AM) analog modulation scheme. The twocarrier waves of the same frequency, usually sinusoids, are out of phasewith each other by 90° and are thus called quadrature carriers orquadrature components.

The second transceiver 22 transmits to and receives data from a wirelessdevice 24. The second transceiver 22 can include, for example, awireless antenna and associated circuitry capable of data transmissionover various data transmission protocols, such as, for example, Wi-Fi orsome other communication channel as defined herein. The firsttransceiver 12 and the second transceiver 22 may be configured asseparate devices or a single device. The first transceiver 12, thesecond transceiver 22, and the processor 18 may be configured asseparate devices or combined.

In one aspect of the disclosure, the second transceiver 22 may receivefrom the wireless device 24, for example, a request to send data to orreceive data from the network operator cloud 34. The second transceiver22 may receive a data request in a modulated signal. The secondtransceiver 22 then may demodulate the signal for further transmission.The second transceiver 22 formats this message into a protocolappropriate for transmitting data. The first transceiver 12 receivesthis message and modulates the message for further wireless transmissionto the network operator cloud 34. The first transceiver 12 formats themessage into an appropriate format for transmission to the networkoperator cloud 34 using a network data transmission protocol asdescribed above, such as, for example, 4G LTE.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the first transceiver 12 and/or thesecond transceiver 22 may function as a modem that can modulate anddemodulate signals for transmitted data to and from the wireless device24. The transceiver as a modem may be physical or virtual.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the second transceiver 22 acting asa modem can allow the wireless device 10 to be a tethered modem toconnect another device to the internet. Tethering between the wirelessdevice 10 and another device can be accomplished wirelessly (e.g.,Bluetooth), wireless fidelity, through a wired connection such as USB,and/or a communication channel is defined herein.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the second transceiver 22 acting asa modem can act as an analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog converter,and can allow for the use of frequency-division multiple access,time-division multiple access, code division multiple access, or spacedivision multiple access.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the first transceiver 12 mayreceive data from the network operator cloud 34 with a destination forthe wireless device 24. The first transceiver 12 may demodulate thereceived message for further data transmission.

The first transceiver 12 may format the message from the networkoperator cloud 34 into a format appropriate for transmission. The secondtransceiver 22 may receive a message. The second transceiver 22 maymodulate the received message for further wireless transmission to thewireless device 24. The second transceiver 22 may format the data into aformat appropriate for transmission using, for example, Wi-Fi, or someother communication channel as defined herein.

The display 14 of the wireless device 10 can be configured to displayvarious information provided to the display 14 from the processor 18 ofthe wireless device 10, computer readable medium 16, or metering client20. The screen may be a light-emitting diode display (LED), anelectroluminescent display (ELD), a plasma display panel (PDP), a liquidcrystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode display (OLED),or any other display technology.

The displayed information can include, for example, the amount ofprepaid wireless data service available, the network connectionstrength, the type of mobile network data connection (such as 3G, 4GLTE, EVDO, etc.) the wireless device 10 is connected to, and/or otherinformation potentially useful to the user. The information may bedisplayed simultaneously or the user may interact with an input devicesuch as buttons on the wireless device 10 or, if the display 14 is atouch-screen, with the icons on the display 14 to cycle through thevarious types of information for display. For example, the display 14may display the amount of prepaid wireless data service available, thenetwork connection strength, and the type of mobile network dataconnection simultaneously. Alternatively, the display 14 may onlydisplay one type of information, for example, the amount of prepaidwireless data service available. The display 14 may then display othertypes of information if the user interacts with buttons on the wirelessdevice 10 or, if the display is a touch-screen, with icons on thedisplay 14.

The computer readable medium 16 may be configured to store the meteringclient 20. For the purposes of this disclosure, computer readable medium16 stores computer data, which can include computer program code that isexecutable by the processor 18 of the wireless device 10, in machinereadable form. By way of example, and not limitation, the computerreadable medium 16 may include computer readable storage media, forexample tangible or fixed storage of data, or communication media fortransient interpretation of code-containing signals. Computer readablestorage media, as used herein, refers to physical or tangible storage(as opposed to signals) and includes without limitation volatile andnon-volatile, removable and non-removable storage media implemented inany method or technology for the tangible storage of information such ascomputer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, orother data. In one or more aspects, the actions and/or events of amethod, algorithm, or module may reside as one or any combination or setof codes and/or instructions on a computer readable medium 16 or machinereadable medium, which may be incorporated into a computer programproduct.

The computer readable medium 16 may also be configured to store thevalues for the amount of wireless data service available, the amount ofwireless data service used, how many days of wireless service have beenused, how many days of wireless service remaining, and the like. Thecomputer readable medium 16 may also store how much data was used foreach domain, web address, wireless device application, or other webresource during a given time period, such as, for example, one billingcycle. The computer readable medium 16 may also be configured to storethe values when the billing cycle of wireless data service ends andstarts.

Additionally, the computer readable medium 16 may communicate to ordisplay on the display 14 the various metrics described above. Forexample, the computer readable medium 16 may communicate to or displayon the display 14 the amount of wireless data service used, the amountof wireless data service remaining, how many days of wireless servicehave been used, how many days of wireless service remaining, and thelike. Similarly, the computer readable medium 16 may also communicate toor display on the display 14 the amount of data sent and received.Moreover, the computer readable medium 16 may communicate to or displayon the display 14 the amount of data that may be remaining from thepreviously purchased and/or credited amount of data.

The processor 18 may be configured to execute the metering client 20.The processor 18 can be, for example, dedicated hardware as definedherein, a computing device as defined herein, a processor, amicroprocessor, a programmable logic array (PLA), a programmable arraylogic (PAL), a generic array logic (GAL), a complex programmable logicdevice (CPLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), afield-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other programmable logicdevice (PLD) configurable to execute the metering client.

Additionally, the processor 18 may communicate to or display on thedisplay 14 the various metrics described above. For example, theprocessor 18 may communicate to or display on the display 14 the amountof data used. Similarly, the processor 18 may also communicate to ordisplay on the display 14 the amount of data sent and received and atwhich data speed. Moreover, the processor 18 may communicate to ordisplay on the display 14 the amount of data that may be remaining fromthe previously purchased and/or credited amount of data.

The metering client 20 may be a software application configured to trackprepaid data usage and the remaining amount of prepaid data available.The metering client 20 may be written in any programming language, suchas, for example, C, Java, Objective-C, C#, Python, Visual Basic, Perl,or any other programming language the processor 18 is capable ofexecuting. The metering client 20 may also meter how much data has beenused on a given domain, web address, wireless device application, orother web resource.

Additionally, the metering client 20 may communicate to or display onthe display 14 the various metrics described above. For example, themetering client 20 may communicate to or display on the display 14 theamount of data used and at which data speed. Similarly, the meteringclient 20 may also communicate to or display on the display 14 theamount of data sent and received. Moreover, the metering client 20 maycommunicate to or display on the display 14 the amount of data that maybe remaining from the previously purchased and/or credited amount ofdata.

In a further aspect, the metering client 20 may throttle data transferbetween the wireless device 10 and the network operator cloud 34 orother wireless devices. The metering client 20 may do this in severalways. One way is for the metering client 20 to control radio frequencyutilized by the first transceiver 12 on the wireless device 10. In thisregard, controlling the radio frequency to slow data transfer. Anotherway is for the metering client 20 to control modulation on the wirelessdevice 10. In this regard, controlling the modulation to slow datatransfer. Yet another way is for the metering client 20 to control acombination of frequency and modulation (e.g., quadrature amplitudemodulation (QAM)) on the wireless device 10. In this regard, controllingthe frequency and modulation to slow data transfer. Moreover, as QAMutilizes two digital bit streams, data may be throttled by inhibitingoperation of one of the two digital bit streams.

In yet another aspect, the metering client 20 may throttle data transferbetween the wireless device 10 and the network operator cloud 34 orother wireless devices by controlling data protocol transmission typesand speeds that the wireless device 10 can transfer. For example, if awireless device 10 user reaches a certain level of data usage at aparticular speed (e.g., 4G), the metering client 20 may limit furtherdata transfer by reducing the data speed available to the wirelessdevice 10 (e.g., from LTE to 3G). The metering client 20 may also shutdown in totality or in sequential order (e.g., LTE, HPSA+, 3G, then 2G)the type of data available to the wireless device 10 once the wirelessdevice 10 has reached a certain level of data transfer at a certainspeed. For example, data transfer may be initially using the LTEprotocol, as a threshold is exceeded, data transfer may be subsequentlyat HPSA+. As data usage continues, the protocol may transition to 3G andthereafter with additional data usage, the protocol my transition to 2G.Other approaches to throttling data usage are contemplated as well.

In a particular aspect of the application, computer readable medium 16of wireless device 10 includes the metering client 20. The meteringclient 20 may be configured to control use of the wireless device 10based on interaction with a server, the server provisioning wirelessservice to the user, or the like. The metering client 20 may utilize aninternal accounting module to establish an account with a representationof prepaid funds, available data, or available credit for wirelessservices. The internal accounting module may also store a plurality ofcharge rates and may also store a billing algorithm. The internalaccounting module can classify each wireless service (data, voice, SMS)into one of a plurality of billing categories; select a charge ratecorresponding to that billing category; calculate an appropriate chargefor the data usage, voice usage, and SMS usage in real time by using theselected charge rate; and apply this appropriate charge to the account.Once the internal accounting module determines that the amount ofwireless service (data, voice, SMS) used has depleted the account, theinternal accounting module may interact with the processor 18 to limit,prevent, or control further use of the wireless device 10 or the speedof data available to the user as described herein. The controlled useincluding suspending wireless data service, limiting wireless dataservice, throttling wireless data service, and allowing all wirelessdata service. In this aspect, the data management application may alsoinclude a module for one or more system provider host processors, whichstore wireless device identification information; store operating codesneeded for wireless device activation; and store operating codes neededfor setting prepaid funds or available credit amounts in wireless deviceaccounts whereby, upon receipt of wireless device identificationinformation from a particular wireless device or its user, the hostprocessor may be capable of ascertaining the operating codes needed toactivate that particular wireless device or needed to set its accountamount.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart detailing the method of how a wireless devicethrottles the amount and speed of data transferred between the wirelessdevice and the network operator cloud according to yet another aspect ofthe disclosure. In particular, FIG. 2 shows a method of controlling datausage on a wireless device. In Step 200, the wireless device 10transfers data to and from a network operator cloud 34. In Step 202, thesecond transceiver 22 modulates signals for the transfer of data betweenthe wireless device 10 and the wireless device 24. In Step 204, themetering client 20 may monitor how much of the allocated data has beenused by the wireless device 10. In Step 206, the display may update todisplay the new remaining amount of data available for use. In Step 208,once the amount of data available for use reaches or exceeds apre-determined threshold, the metering client may throttle in real timedata transfer to and from the wireless device. In one aspect, when thebilling cycle starts over, the throttling of data transfer may bethereafter be removed as shown in step 210.

One way throttle data transfer is to control radio frequency on thewireless device 10. Another way throttle data transfer is to controlmodulation on the wireless device 10. Yet another way throttle datatransfer is to control a combination of frequency and modulation (e.g.,quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)) on the wireless device 10.

In yet another aspect, throttling data transfer may be accomplished bycontrolling data transmission protocol types and speeds that thewireless device 10. For example, if a wireless device 10 user reaches acertain level of data usage at a particular speed (e.g., 4G), datatransfer may be throttled by reducing the data speed available to thewireless device 10 (e.g., 3G). The throttling may also shut down intotality or in sequential order (e.g., LTE, HPSA+, 3G, then 2G) the typeof data available to the wireless device 10 once the wireless device 10has reached a certain level of data transfer at a certain speed. Otherapproaches to throttling data usage are contemplated as well.

FIG. 3 shows the details of a network operator cloud and a wirelessdevice with a metering client configured to inhibit data availability onthe wireless device according to another aspect of the disclosure. Inthe FIG. 3 implementation, there is no second transceiver and thewireless device 10 may operate standalone. In the aspect to FIG. 3, thewireless device may be a smartphone.

Further in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation with dedicatedhardware implementations including, but not limited to PCs, PDAs, SIMcards, semiconductors, application specific integrated circuits (ASIC),programmable logic arrays, cloud computing devices, and other hardwaredevices constructed to implement the methods described herein.

The disclosure may include communication channels that may be any typeof wired or wireless electronic communications network, such as, e.g., awired/wireless local area network (LAN), a wired/wireless personal areanetwork (PAN), a wired/wireless home area network (HAN), awired/wireless wide area network (WAN), a campus network, a metropolitannetwork, an enterprise private network, a virtual private network (VPN),an internetwork, a backbone network (BBN), a global area network (GAN),the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, an overlay network, a cellulartelephone network, a Personal Communications Service (PCS), using knownprotocols such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM),CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access), W-CDMA (Wideband Code-DivisionMultiple Access), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Long TermEvolution (LTE), EVolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) and/or the like, and/ora combination of two or more thereof.

The disclosure may be implemented in any type of computing devices, suchas, e.g., a desktop computer, personal computer, a laptop/mobilecomputer, a personal data assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tabletcomputer, cloud computing device, and the like, with wired/wirelesscommunications capabilities via the communication channels.

In an aspect, the disclosure may be implemented in any type of mobilesmartphones that are operated by any type of advanced mobile dataprocessing and communication operating system, such as, e.g., an Apple™iOS™ operating system, a Google™ Android™ operating system, a RIM™Blackberry™ operating system, a Nokia™ Symbian™ operating system, aMicrosoft™ Windows Mobile™ operating system, a Microsoft™ Windows Phone™operating system, a Linux™ operating system or the like.

It should also be noted that the software implementations of thedisclosure as described herein are optionally stored on a tangiblestorage medium, such as: a magnetic medium such as a disk or tape; amagneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk; or a solid statemedium such as a memory card or other package that houses one or moreread-only (non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or otherre-writable (volatile) memories. A digital file attachment to email orother self-contained information archive or set of archives isconsidered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storagemedium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include a tangiblestorage medium or distribution medium, as listed herein and includingart-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the softwareimplementations herein are stored.

Additionally, the various aspects of the disclosure may be implementedin a non-generic computer implementation. Moreover, the various aspectsof the disclosure set forth herein improve the functioning of the systemas is apparent from the disclosure hereof. Furthermore, the variousaspects of the disclosure involve computer hardware that it specificallyprogrammed to solve the complex problem addressed by the disclosure.Accordingly, the various aspects of the disclosure improve thefunctioning of the system overall in its specific implementation toperform the process set forth by the disclosure and as defined by theclaims.

While the device, system, and method have been described in terms ofwhat are presently considered to be specific aspects, the disclosureneed not be limited to the disclosed aspects. It is intended to covervarious modifications and similar arrangements included within thespirit and scope of the claims, the scope of which should be accordedthe broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modificationsand similar structures. The present disclosure includes any and allaspects of the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for controlling data usage on awireless device comprising: a transceiver implemented by the wirelessdevice configured to transfer data between the wireless device and anetwork operator cloud; a metering client implemented by the wirelessdevice configured to determine if data usage has exceeded apre-determined threshold; a computer readable medium on the wirelessdevice configured to store the metering client; a processor implementedby the wireless device configured to execute the metering client; andwherein the metering client is configured to throttle at the wirelessdevice, upon the metering client determining that an amount of dataavailable has exceeded the pre-determined threshold, the data transferof at least one of the transceiver; and wherein the metering client isfurther configured to throttle data transfer by the transceiver bycontrolling a radio frequency and a modulation utilized by thetransceiver that comprises controlling the transceiver and modifying aquadrature amplitude modulation utilized by the transceiver when thedata available has exceeded the pre-determined threshold.
 2. The systemof claim 1, wherein the metering client is further configured to limit,by controlling the transceiver at the wireless device, a type of datathat the wireless device can send and receive when the data availablehas exceeded the pre-determined threshold.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the metering client is further configured to throttle datatransfer by the transceiver by controlling the radio frequency utilizedby the transceiver when the data available has exceeded thepre-determined threshold.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the meteringclient is further configured to control data usage on the wirelessdevice by controlling the transceiver and modifying the quadratureamplitude modulation utilized by the transceiver when the data availablehas exceeded the pre-determined threshold that comprises inhibiting oneof an amplitude-shift keying (ASK) digital modulation scheme or anamplitude modulation (AM) analog modulation scheme.
 5. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the metering client is further configured to shut downa type of data transfer on the wireless device by controlling thetransceiver when the data available has exceeded the pre-determinedthreshold.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is aphysical modem; and wherein the metering client is further configured tothrottle data transfer by the physical modem by controlling one of thefollowing: a radio frequency utilized by the physical modem, amodulation utilized by the physical modem, and a radio frequency and amodulation utilized by the physical modem.
 7. The system of claim 1,wherein the transceiver is a virtual modem; and wherein the meteringclient is further configured to throttle data transfer by the virtualmodem by controlling one of the following: a radio frequency utilized bythe virtual modem, a modulation utilized by the virtual modem, and aradio frequency and a modulation utilized by the virtual modem.
 8. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises a wirelessaccess point; and wherein the computer readable medium is furtherconfigured to store on the wireless access point values for the amountof data available, how much time remains until a user must addadditional data, and how much data was used.
 9. The system of claim 1,further comprising: a display screen implemented by the wireless device;and the display screen configured to display at least one of thefollowing: an amount of prepaid data available and an amount of prepaidtime available.
 10. A method of controlling data usage on a wirelessdevice comprising: transferring data between the wireless device and anetwork operator cloud with a transceiver; determining at the wirelessdevice if data usage has exceeded a pre-determined threshold; andthrottling at the wireless device, upon the determination that an amountof data available has exceeded the pre-determined threshold, thetransferring of data between the wireless device and the networkoperator cloud, wherein the wireless device is further configured tothrottle data transfer by the transceiver by controlling a radiofrequency and a modulation utilized by the transceiver by modifying aquadrature amplitude modulation utilized by the transceiver.
 11. Themethod of controlling data usage on a wireless device of claim 10,wherein the throttling at the wireless device, upon the determinationthat the amount of data available has exceeded the pre-determinedthreshold, the transferring of data between the wireless device and thenetwork operator cloud further comprises limiting a type of data thatthe wireless device can send and receive by controlling the transceiver.12. The method of controlling data usage on a wireless device of claim10, wherein the throttling at the wireless device, upon thedetermination that the amount of data available has exceeded thepre-determined threshold, the transferring of data between the wirelessdevice and the network operator cloud further comprises controlling themodulation utilized by the transceiver for the wireless device.
 13. Themethod of controlling data usage on a wireless device of claim 10,wherein the throttling at the wireless device, upon the determinationthat the amount of data available has exceeded the pre-determinedthreshold, the transferring of data between the wireless device and thenetwork operator cloud further comprises controlling data usage on thewireless device by modifying the quadrature amplitude modulationutilized by the transceiver that comprises inhibiting one of anamplitude-shift keying (ASK) digital modulation scheme or an amplitudemodulation (AM) analog modulation scheme.
 14. The method of controllingdata usage on a wireless device of claim 10, wherein the throttling atthe wireless device, upon the determination that the amount of dataavailable has exceeded the pre-determined threshold, the transferring ofdata between the wireless device and the network operator cloud furthercomprises shutting down a type of data transfer on the wireless deviceby controlling the transceiver.
 15. The method of controlling data usageon a wireless device of claim 10, wherein modulating signals at thewireless device for the transfer of data between the wireless device andthe network operator cloud is accomplished with a physical modem; andwherein the wireless device is further configured to throttle datatransfer by the physical modem by controlling one of the following: aradio frequency utilized by the physical modem, a modulation utilized bythe physical modem, and a radio frequency and a modulation utilized bythe physical modem.
 16. The method of controlling data usage on awireless device of claim 10, wherein modulating signals at the wirelessdevice for the transfer of data between the wireless device and thenetwork operator cloud is accomplished with a virtual modem; and whereinthe wireless device is further configured to throttle data transfer bythe virtual modem by controlling one of the following: a radio frequencyutilized by the virtual modem, a modulation utilized by the virtualmodem, and a radio frequency and a modulation utilized by the virtualmodem.
 17. The method of controlling data usage on a wireless device ofclaim 10, further comprising: displaying on the wireless device theamount of data remaining for use on a display device; and the displayingcomprises displaying at least one of amount of prepaid data availableand an amount of prepaid time available on the display device.